M.M. Drake
Photographed later career form
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Whitefish Bay. It is informed by the historical record set out under History below, where the documented evidence and the interpretation are kept apart; rigging, colours and fittings are partly inferred. It is not a survey of the wreck.
Nobody knows the exact spot where this ship went down, so the marker shows the general area.
Starboard bow · complete vessel · drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, right-drag to pan. Hiding a part shows what sat beneath it; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- Wooden bulk freighter US91485, built in 1882. Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history
- Vessel history explicitly gives 210 ft overall and 201 ft between perpendiculars, 34.5 ft beam; a second deck was added in 1885. Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The photograph guides the forward pilothouse and canopy, unequal masts and aft funnel. Hull length uses 210 ft overall; the tracker’s 201 ft is length between perpendiculars. Hidden hull lines, hatch count, paint and the photo’s exact date remain uncertain.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 4.40 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 50 ft of water; that describes the site, not the ship.
Renders from the model
History, evidence and limits
The research notes behind the reconstruction, reproduced with their citations.
Version 1.1. Metadata and presentation revised September 8, 2026; original evidence review retained.
Selected appearance
Photographed later career form. The photograph guides the forward pilothouse and canopy, unequal masts and aft funnel. Hull length uses 210 ft overall; the tracker’s 201 ft is length between perpendiculars. Hidden hull lines, hatch count, paint and the photo’s exact date remain uncertain.
Documented evidence
Wooden bulk freighter US91485, built in 1882. Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history
Vessel history explicitly gives 210 ft overall and 201 ft between perpendiculars, 34.5 ft beam; a second deck was added in 1885. Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Evidence assessment: supported photographic interpretation. The named historic broadside establishes the defining exterior. Documentary dimensions set scale; this is not an exact replica or a reconstruction of the collision.
Documented baseline. Sterling Berry’s compilation identifies the 1882 wooden bulk freighter, US 91485, with 210 ft overall length and 201 ft between perpendiculars, 34.5 ft beam, and a second deck added in 1885. Its heading gives 21 ft depth but original enrollment gives 14.6 ft. Hold depth is therefore left null for the selected later form. The preserve corroborates the 1901 wreck record.
Photographic evidence. The inspected broadside shows a raised forward pilothouse and canvas-sided canopy, a tall foremast, a shorter mast ahead of the aft funnel, long cargo deck and stern accommodation with a covered gallery. The foremast top is outside the photograph; modeled height is inferred. This is an undated career appearance, not an asserted 1901 final-voyage state.
Interpretations. Three hatch positions, boats, ventilators, window count, exact house heights, canvas windscreen arrangement and exterior braces are approximate. Gray-green paint and cream trim are interpretive hues from monochrome evidence. Submerged lines, rudder and three-bladed screw are newly modeled period interpretations, not measured surviving parts. Hatch controls hide covers over simplified dark recesses; they do not reveal a reconstructed hold. No sails, barge, collision damage or rescue scene is invented.
Sources and use.
Unresolved uncertainties
No complete original lines plan is claimed. Exact loaded draft, concealed surfaces and fine fittings remain interpreted. The earlier research context below retains the source distinctions used for this reconstruction.
Keep visible beside the model. The photograph guides the forward pilothouse and canopy, unequal masts and aft funnel. Hull length uses 210 ft overall; the tracker’s 201 ft is length between perpendiculars. Hidden hull lines, hatch count, paint and the photo’s exact date remain uncertain.
Geometry reference. Selected length 210 ft; beam 34.5 ft; hold depth unresolved (null) ft. Deck Y=6.1 m; illustrative waterline Y=4.4 m. Draft is inferred, not measured. Bow −X, starboard +Z, up +Y. Original catalogue dimensions and coordinates are unchanged.
Sources
- Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history
- Historic M.M. Drake broadside
- Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
Illustration conditions
Illustration setting. Supplemental AI artwork places the ship on a lake. Weather, water, lighting and shoreline are artistic choices, not loss-day evidence or exact geographic scenery. Panther receives a passing rain shower; Drake and Ora Endress use gentler settings. Neutral direct GLB renders remain the geometry reference and map poster source.
Sources used for the model
- Sterling Berry, M. M. Drake vessel history — source
Scale, original enrollment, 1885 second-deck alteration and career; distinguish LOA from LBP and conflicting depth entries. - Historic M.M. Drake broadside — source
Inspected visual reference for silhouette and exterior arrangement. Top of foremast is cropped; exact photo date is uncertain. - Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve — source
Corroborates the named 1901 wreck entry; coordinates are not new survey data.
Rights and respect
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council.
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks and human remains may still be present. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Model and renders were newly made for this project (2026). Three.js r160.1 is used under the MIT licence; its notice ships with the vendored files. Wreck position, depth and dates: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. The model specification (version 1.1, revised 2026-09-08) is published beside the assets (model-spec.json).